The Golden State Warriors were awfully quiet around this year’s NBA trade deadline. Of course, they did go through with a massive 4-team trade that brought Gary Payton II back onto their roster and sent James Wiseman to Detroit, but considering what teams like the Lakers, Suns, and Mavericks did, the Dubs’ route to a second straight title just got a lot harder than it already was.
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GPII’s emergence as an effective role player who was a star perimeter defender, solid screen setter and roller to the rim, and was efficient on the fast break all took place as a Warrior. He even won a championship with them in 2022 but would find himself on the Portland Trailblazers for the 2022-23 season.
He wouldn’t play for the Blazers to start off the season however as he underwent abdominal surgery that had him out until January 3rd, 2023. He would score 7 points in 13 minutes in a win over the Detroit Pistons.
Blazers withhold crucial injury information on Gary Payton II
The Portland Trailblazers looked like they had found a regular rotation guy in Gary Payton II after he had returned from injury. Though, it wouldn’t last long as he would be traded ahead of the February 9th deadline back to the Warriors.
Unfortunately for the reigning champions, it seems as though the Blazers withheld information regarding the severity of his core injury. He has reportedly failed his physical examination, putting the 4-team trade in jeopardy, according to The Athletic’s, Shams Charania.
The Blazers medical staff was also forcing GP2 to take Toradol shots periodically and forcing him to play through his injury. This is perhaps why the Warriors found Payton to be in good shape strictly off the eye test and saw him as a piece worth trading back for.
Blazers General Manager, Joe Cronin, was asked about these reports today and Cronin would go on to say that the Blazers found him to be healthy and if he wasn’t, they wouldn’t have brought him back.
After all, Payton between January 2nd and February 8th, played 14 games and did so with him being out on the floor for an average of 17 minutes per game. Until every single player that was part of a trade isn’t cleared from the physical examination, the trade is either stalled or it collapses. It’ll be interesting to see how this develops in the coming days.
